RI: Woman unleashes Pit Bulls after TIME reporter.

[RealPitBull]

A Rhode Island mother whose daughter was wounded in a shooting Sunday made clear that she had no comment for the press when she swung open her front yard fence and unleashed two pit bulls on a local reporter on Tuesday.

Footage of the incident shows the pit bulls chasing the reporter down the street as she narrates the details of her own assault. The reporter suffered a shallow bite to her right forearm.

The mother, Melissa Lawrence, was charged with two counts of assault. Providence Journal reports that she showed up to her arraignment the next day wearing a pink t-shirt with the message, “My attitude is your problem,” printed across it.


Read more: newsfeed.time.com/2013/06/06/video-woman-sics-pit-bulls-on-rhode-island-reporter/#ixzz2WZgi1nkN

[michele5611]

Yes I saw this last week after one of the guys in my office told me about it after seeing it on the news.

[Dave]

I saw that, too. The reporter harassed the lady, she didn't want to be bothered. When the dogs were set loose, the camera operator did nothing. How do you just film away while your coworker gets attacked? What kind of idiot just watches? I guess it takes a special person to be a reporter or photojournalist.

It didn't look like the dogs were really into attacking, either. Like it was just a game to them. If the reporter hadn't run they may have just stood there barking at her.

Pretty much idiots all around. And the dogs will suffer for it.

[perseus]

gotta confess there is a part of me that took pleasure at the thought of a couple bulldogs putting the fear of god into some obnoxious media type.

[michele5611]

One of the articles I read said one of the dogs bit the reporter on the arm?

[Dave]

According to the time article, a shallow puncture wound. Like the one Lola put in me accidentally when I put my arm in her mouth. Not what a dog that wants to attack would do.

and, lol @ perseus.

[megan]

I saw the video of this. It was more highly inappropriate play than it was "attacking" in my opinion. It was two likely under-exercised and under-trained dogs playing a very inappropriate game with a woman who was squealing and dancing around, which only made the game more fun for them. It's actually a behavior we see a lot in Pit Bulls and other bull breed or mixes in shelter environments when they have been cooped up too long and have lots of mental and physical energy to release, coupled with a lack of bite inhibition and "appropriate play with humans" sort of training.

Nevertheless, to be on the receiving end of that must be terrifying, regardless of the dog's breed. The owner should be charged, even though I do agree that the reporter was obnoxious in questioning her. They shouldn't have been there at the woman's doorstep, and quite frankly, it's situations like this that make people not like or trust the media. "Your daughter was just shot, how do you feel?" isn't exactly the appropriate way to get a news story. That being said, the woman clearly doesn't give a crap about her dogs for her to send them after someone, whether it was in play or she meant for them to attack her. She doesn't deserve to own those dogs.

[megan]

I mean, let's be realistic, someone is throwing rocks at you and you keep questioning her. Then she says, "I'm going to get a bat" and "gimme my baseball bat" and you don't get out of dodge? Seriously, the woman isn't stable, why would you ask her why she's attacking you... JUST LEAVE.